BLI vs Bachmann

[basementcalling]

I know a Mikado and a Consolidation are two very different locos, but N scale now has sound equipped offerings for both, courtesy of BLI and Bachmann.

For your $230 or there abouts, which is the better buy for a steam era multi purpose loco?

[Missaberoad]

Yes... 

Honestly it depends on your prototype...
Mikes lean more towards mainline, Connie's are more at home switching, but both types have been used for just about any kind of service somewhere...

[Mark5]

In the late 1800s and early 1900s the consolidation was the typical heavy mainline loco. As the 1900s progressed they often got bumped to lesser service by newer more powerful locos (like Mikes!) and saw branchline service and switching service on some roads.

On the Ma & Pa, the consolidations were "mainline" locos to the end!

Mark

[jdcolombo]

As the other posters have noted, it depends on your era and intended use.  Unless you are modeling pre-WWII, the Mike would be my choice.

The Mikado basically took over as the heavy mainline loco on all Class I's by the 1920's.  As steam evolved in the 30's and 40's, Mikes gradually were displaced from mainline service by larger/heavier steam, including 8-coupled engines like 2-8-4 Berkshires and 4-8-4 Northerns (or "Niagra's" if your an NYC person), or even heavier 2-10-4's and big articulateds like the Big Boy (UP only), Challenger, Allegheny, Yellowstone, N&W's Y's, etc.  But Mikes hung around on most Class I's until the end of steam.

If you're modeling the transition era, say late 1940's to mid-50's, Mikes were much more common and used mostly in local/branch service, but could plausibly be put on a mainline through freight.  Not many Consolidations were still on the road by by then.  But up through WWII, almost all roads used Connies for a variety of tasks, mostly branchline and local service.  And a few lasted nearly to the end of steam in the 50's.

John C.

[Maletrain]

From a modeler's perspective, the Connies look a lot better on sharp curves than the Mikes.  And, it sounds like the models from BLI and Bachmann pull about the same.  (Haven't had the opportunity to put mine to a test match, yet.)

Where I am modeling (B&O Pittsburgh Division in early 1950s), the Mikes had the "peddler" freights and turns on the mainline, as well as some branch line work.  Some of the branches had bridge weight restrictions that called for Connies 'til the end of steam.

At the same time right next door on the Western Maryland, they used a lot of Connies on some of the twisty branch lines, while running "Potomacs" (don't ever say "Northern" there) and Challengers on the mains.  The Western Maryland is known for putting as many Connies on a train as necessary to get it over the hill, sometimes as many as 7 on a 50 car train, with some in front, some in the middle and the rest on the rear.

So, lots of uses for those BLI Mikes and Bachmann Connies. Very glad to have both.